Does Ref Wright Bring Good Omens?

Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire will referee the R`s clash against Derby County this weekend, an appointment that brings back positive memories for Rangers.

Kevin started refereeing in 1995 and was promoted to the national list of assistant referees in 2000.

The 38-year-old was subsequently promoted to the referees list in 2003 and has taken charge of 5 Rangers games since then.

Below is an analysis of QPR games that Mr Wright has presided over.

Refereeing Rangers

In his first season as an official Mr Wright had his first taste of Rangers, as the R`s took on Tranmere Rovers at Loftus Road. The Division Two fixture pitted two of the previous season`s form teams against one another.

Formidable striker Simon Haworth handed the visitors the lead in the fifth minute, before Kevin Gallen equalised moments after half time.

The next season the R`s were playing Championship football following promotion as runners up, and Mr Friend saw them send another team down to the depths of League One. Nottingham Forest were the visitors to W12 with faint hope of staying in the Championship to play for.

Darryl Powell was given his marching orders by Mr Wright in the 32nd minute - an incident eloquantly described by Vital Forest editor Guinless:

He said: "That was without doubt, the worst team ever to put on a Forest shirt.

"I was at that game and the performance that day just about summed us up back then.

"My abiding memory of the day, (apart from the magnificent away support) is of the pathetic foul by Darryl Powell, that earned him a sending off. He even had the brass neck to argue with the ref!"

Suffice to say Forest were sent tumbling to League One with an own goal from soon to be Ranger John Curtis, added to by an exquisite strike by the now retired Marc Bircham. Young German Eugen Bopp bagged a consolation but results elsewhere didn`t go for the Tricky Trees who were relegated.

Here is the useful omen alluded to in the introduction, as Rangers travelled to Derby County`s Pride Park in October 2005. The R`s had the lead courtesy of winger Gareth Ainsworth, but worse was to follow.

Paul Furlong eventually took the bate from Emerson Thome as he had a little flick out at the antagonising Brazilian and was given his marching orders on 34 minutes. It was backs against the wall stuff for Rangers.

Derby threw everything at QPR throughout the game, with Rangers only able to play on the counter attack. Substitute Stefan Moore managed to spurn two guilt-edge one on ones as it seemed a matter of time before the Rams would make the R`s pay for their wastefulness. Against all the play and all the odds Kevin Gallen cut inside from the left and bent the ball into the far corner - cue ratpures in the away end.

Even a consolation goal from Derby loanee Dexter Blackstock wasn`t enough as Rangers were victorious at Pride Park under the watchful eye of Mr Wright.

Next up for Mr Wright and QPR was a New Years Eve thriller at Gresty Road as Rangers were victorious in a game that ebbed and flowed one way and another.

Eddie Johnson handed Dario Gradi`s men the lead on 15 minutes, before Lee Cook darted down the wing which the R`s fans populated to place home, the R`s then took the lead courtesy of a Shabazz Baidoo strike.

However Luke Varney and Steve Jones bagged the goals to put Alex in front at the break, with Ian Holloway`s men pondering a deficit going into the second period.

The R`s came out like a house on fire in the second period, and in a game which swung both ways the R`s started creating some meaningful chances. Martin Rowlands slammed the ball home from distance to equalise, before Richard Langley won the game and sent the R`s fans home in a happy ending to 2005.

The last fixture that Mr Wright took charge of was the fairly non-descript 0-0 draw away at Cardiff City. The strike pairing of Sammy Youssouf and Marc Nygaard unsurprisingly couldn`t break the deadlock at Ninian Park, with Richard Langley returning to play against his former club.

So far this season Mr Wright has officiated 18 games and handed out 36 yellow cards and three reds, giving him a card average of 2.17.